Adding packages (was: mkfs.jffs2 support in CYGWIN)

[Larry Hall (Cygwin)]

On 08/27/2009 02:59 PM, Andy Koppe wrote:
>> How to install is here:
>> http://cygwin.com/cygwin-ug-net/setup-net.html
>
> I don't think it's terribly obvious that you simply need to run
> setup.exe again to add more packages after initial installation. This
> is not a common thing to do with other installers, and with some
> installers this might even mess things up, so people might be wary of
> doing this.

I think it's safe to say that most Windows installers are for monolithic
software.  You install once and you're done.  So I expect allot of any
disconnect with people is because of this.  Of course, for those
programs that do allow one to install portions and come back to change
that in some way later (this includes a number of popular MS offerings),
what I've seen as a "pattern" is to force people to go to "Add or Remove
Programs" or "Programs and Features" (depending on the O/S) to do this.
I don't think that's a great model or metaphor either though I'd have to say
that using 'setup.exe' to update/install Cygwin software rather fits with it.

> There's the message on the intial setup screen, but that's easily
> overlooked or forgotten. And the page above only mentions it in
> passing.
>
> The lack of awareness of how to add packages might also explain why
> lots of people seem to select "All" only to then complain about how
> long the Cygwin install takes and how much space it occupies.

I don't recall much in the way of complaints in this context ("I can't figure
out how I would add stuff later so let me just install everything now so I
don't have to worry about it.")  I expect someone has had that thought
at sometime though.

> So to help matters, perhaps setup.exe could be installed as part of
> Cygwin, and a suitably named link to it added to the start menu? Even
> better if that link would take it directly to the package selection
> screen.

Adding a link to <http://cygwin.com/setup.exe> shouldn't be allot of work
and may help if the menu was properly named.  Beyond that requires
significant changes to 'setup.exe' which would require some volunteer
effort to make it happen.  An alternative might be for someone to set
up a web page that would allow the user to pick the packages and that
would invoke 'setup.exe' with the right flags to do all that.  Of course,
that's a different kind of effort, though it shouldn't require changes to
'setup.exe'.

-- 
Larry Hall                              http://www.rfk.com
RFK Partners, Inc.                      (508) 893-9779 - RFK Office
216 Dalton Rd.                          (508) 893-9889 - FAX
Holliston, MA 01746

_____________________________________________________________________

A: Yes.
 > Q: Are you sure?
 >> A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation.
 >>> Q: Why is top posting annoying in email?

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